


The Deal

by Kahtee



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, F/M, Fake Dating, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Slow Burn, There's Gonna be lots of Angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-17
Updated: 2018-06-23
Packaged: 2019-03-20 11:30:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 9,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13716780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kahtee/pseuds/Kahtee
Summary: Barry Allen wants his best friend Iris to notice him. What better way than to find a fake girlfriend?Caitlin Snow is hopelessly in love with Ronnie Raymond. They're friends, but as much as she wants it, it seems like that's all they're meant to be. Unless she can make him realize that she's girlfriend material. What better way than finding a fake boyfriend?I do not own The Flash, The Arrow, or any of the characters in this story except the ones I make up.





	1. The Beginning

Barry Allen groaned at the amount of homework that Mr. Wells gave them. Why must there always be so much? Just because Physics was his favorite class, doesn't mean that he really wanted to be spending his entire weekend on it.

"Oh, come on, Barry, you know you love this class. I should be the one complaining. Physics sucks," Iris, Barry's best friend, said. 

"Yeah, I love this class, but that doesn't mean that I love homework," Barry said, looking down at his beautiful best friend. She was much shorter than him, 5'4" to his 6'2". Her long dark hung in a ponytail down her back. Her smile brightened as her boyfriend, Eddie, came into sight. Barry felt the familiar twinge of jealousy as Iris ran down the hallway, launching herself into Eddie's arms. 

"Hey, Barry. How's it going?" Eddie asked as he and Iris walked back to Barry.

"Fine." Glancing down at his watch, he continued. "Listen, I gotta get to class. See ya later?" He didn't wait for a reply as he almost ran to his Drama class. 

"Cutting it kinda close, Aren't you?" Caitlin Snow asked as he sat in front of her.

"Of course he is. It's Barry," Cisco Ramon cut in from the seat beside Barry. 

"Wow, thanks Cisco, I'm feeling the love," Barry teased. Their conversation was cut short, however, when their teacher walked in. 

\---

Caitlin stole yet another glance at Ronnie. How could he be so perfect? She held back a sigh, knowing that it would be heard by Cisco, and she didn't need his knowing (and teasing) smile. She was frustrated enough during this class. 

Caitlin automatically took notes, only paying enough attention to the teacher to do so. The rest of her thoughts were dedicated to plotting. This was not a normal occurrence for the normally studious Caitlin. But this crush was becoming a problem. So Caitlin had decided to plan to either get over him or get him to like her back. She still wasn't sure. 

Finally, with five minutes left in the class, her eyes alighted on Barry. Everyone in their friend group knew he liked Iris. Everyone but Iris and Eddie. Maybe they could help each other. She started writing furiously.


	2. The Deal is Struck

After class, Caitlin walked up to Barry, ignoring the voices in her head that told her that her plan wouldn't work. She pulled her books tighter to her body, not wanting to drop the one notebook that had all her half-baked plans in it. Walking faster, she still almost missed him.

"Barry! Can I talk to you for a minute?" She called, almost hoping he didn't hear her. He did though, and turned around and walked over. His smile was a little uncertain, as Caitlin didn't often talk to people in between classes. But it was bright, nonetheless.

"Hey, Caitlin. What's up? You need help with something?" He asked, with a silent note of the hesitation flickering in Caitlin's face.

"Actually, yes. You like Iris, right?" Caitlin said. She'd cut straight to the point, hoping to cut short the embarrassment of Barry laughing at her stupid idea.

"Uhhhh, what makes you think that? Who told you?" The panic in his voice would have been funny if Caitlin hadn't been so worried herself. But she laughed anyway, trying to put him at ease.

"Relax, Barry. Nobody told me. It was easy to tell from the way you look at her. And the obvious jealousy you feel for Eddie, and the almost subtle hints that you and she would be a good couple, and-"

"Okay, I get it. You know. Who else knows?" Barry interrupted, glancing at the hallway he and Caitlin were almost in.

"Well... Cisco, and Felicity, and Oliver, and myself of course, and almost everyone except Iris and Eddie. Although if you keep talking like that, Eddie won't be in the dark much longer. Anyways, I have a proposal for you. You like Iris, but she doesn't see you as boyfriend material, right? Well, I have a similar situation. I think we could help each other out." Caitlin ended her sentence with a glance at her watch. It was lunch, so they had a little time.

Barry looked shocked. "Help each other? How?"

"By pretending to date each other." Caitlin kept her tone matter of fact, willing her voice to not betray how nervous she was about asking this of Barry.

"But won't that show them that we are off the market? Won't that defeat the purpose?" Barry asked, slightly shocked that this suggestion was coming from Caitlin, one of the most honest people he knew.

"No. Listen, we need to get going, because everyone will be wondering where we are. But, if you come to my house after school, I'll explain more, and we can discuss this further. Alright?" Caitlin countered, and then walked away, leaving Barry to mull as he followed at an unusually slow pace.

\---

Several hours and a lot of internal battling later, Barry caught up with Caitlin at the end of school.

"Caitlin, when would be a good time to come over to your house? To talk?" Barry asked.

"Um, how about 5:30? My family is usually done with dinner by then," Caitlin suggested, biting her lip subconsciously. She didn't think it'd get this far. Not that this was very far at all, but still. He wanted to at least hear her out, right?

"Sounds good. I'll be there," he agreed, giving her a smile and a side hug before he went off. They both missed the glare that Ronnie Raymond sent their way.

\---

Later, as he walked up to Caitlin's house (he'd had to text her for the address when he realized that he'd never been there before, and didn't know where she lived), Barry took a deep breath of cold air before he knocked. When he did, a tall woman in a dark blue dress and glasses opened the door.

"You must be Caitlin's friend. She mentioned you'd be coming by. Well, come in," she said, stepping aside to let him in. He thanked her as he stepped through the door, and she introduced herself. "I'm Caitlin's mother, Carla." She held out her hand, which Barry took.

"Barry Allen," He returned, smiling as well as he could. Caitlin's mother seemed nice enough, but her slightly cold demeanor left him with a vague feeling of terror.

"Caitlin is upstairs. Last door to the right." Carla walked off, leaving Barry to walk up the steep carpeted stairs that were off to the side of the door. He walked nearly to the end of the hall before he found the door. He knocked gently and waited until he heard a soft voice telling him to come in.

He opened the door. He'd expected to see a bedroom, but instead, he walked into what looked like a library. Selves full of books lined most of the walls. One wall had a door the appeared to lead out onto a balcony. in a corner of that wall, two pale blue chairs sat on either side of a small dark wood table. Caitlin was sitting in one of these chairs, looking much more casual than Barry had ever seen her.

"I thought you changed your mind," she said, as he raised an eyebrow at her appearance. Her reddish-brown curls had been swept up into a messy bun, and she had put on a soft cotton shirt that almost matched the chair she sat in. Her legs were clad in black leggings.

"Yeah, sorry I'm late. Iris showed up, and I had to explain where I was going on a Tuesday night," he apologized. Caitlin smiled. She knew how often Iris showed up unannounced at her next door neighbors house since he had almost no social life.

"What did you tell her?" she asked.

"I tried to stay as close to the truth as possible. I said I was coming here, but I said it was to study," Barry explained, as Caitlin nodded.

"Good. Please, sit down." Caitlin motioned to the other chair as she stood up, and walked to a small bar like thing that Barry hadn't noticed before. "Would you like some tea? I have a large variety here," she asked as Barry sat down.

"Uh, yeah, sure."

"What flavor?"

"Do you have chamomile?" Caitlin snorted softly at this.

"Of course," she said, and poured hot water into a mug from a bright red water kettle. Then she opened a box, and pulled out a gauze bag, and dropped it in the mug. "Sugar or honey?"

"Honey, please," Barry said. Caitlin nodded her acknowledgment and added some honey to the white mug. She walked over and handed it to him, then sat down. "So," Barry said, putting his tea down on the table to brew further. "You think we should pretend to date? Why?"

"It's simple. Right now, Iris and Ronnie don't see us as people they'd want to date. Why? Because we don't date. neither of us has had a boyfriend or girlfriend in years. Or in my case, ever. So, if we pretend to date, then they'll see us as dateable material," Caitlin responded.

"But, then that takes us off the market. Right?" Barry queried, taking a sip of his tea.

"Well, after awhile, we'll break up, and then they'll know we are available," she elaborated. Her teeth gnawed on her bottom lip as she surveyed Barry's face, looking for some sign as to whether he'd agree or not.

Barry was silent for a few minutes. A chance to make Iris see that he was what a good boyfriend he'd make? Even make her jealous, if he was lucky? But then, what if it didn't work? What if this was all for nothing? He was so intent on these questions that he was silent for a quite some time and didn't see Caitlin's face fall.

"You don't have to do it if you don't want to. It was only an idea I had," she said, disappointment tainting her words. Barry thought for a second or so more and then spoke.

"How long would we have to be 'together'?"

Caitlin's face lit up. "Um, probably not too long. Maybe a couple months. Only long enough to make them see that we'd each be a good boyfriend or girlfriend, but not so long as to make it seem like we're too serious." She said, looking down at a notebook that Barry had seen her pick up a while ago, but not paid much attention to. Caitlin put it on the table between them, and both changed their positions to be able to survey it better. Anyone looking at them would almost think they were 7, not 17, the way they were curled up oddly on the chairs.

The page the notebook was covered in notes, some of them in shorthand, some not. Caitlin's handwriting was clear and pretty, but her shorthand made absolutely no sense to Barry whatsoever. They spent the next two hours deciphering Caitlin's vague plans, some of which even she couldn't remember what she was trying to say. They also drank copious amounts of tea. Finally, they had a well thought out plan, written down and copied off for each of them. Tomorrow the mission would commence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a longer chapter for you guys! I hope you guys are liking it so far. I really love these two dorks, and I adore wrting about them.  
> Comments are always welcome. Constructive criticism included. I don't have a beta, so all mistakes are mine! 
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own The Flash, Arrow, or any of the characters from those shows. I write for pleasure and practice only!


	3. The Plan Commences

The next day, Barry spent a good part of his morning studying the notebook paper that held the plans for the day. They were simple. All Barry and Caitlin had to do for the next couple weeks, in fact, was act like they were getting over Ronnie and Iris. Which was easier said than done, as it meant no spending boring classes staring dreamily at them. And it also meant no subtle remarks about what a great couple Barry and Iris would make.

But because of all his time spent studying the paper and dreaming, Barry missed the bus. Fortunately, his dad was home and could take him. But he was still late to school because his dad took forever to get ready to leave the house. He was tardy for his first class. Not the first time this type of thing had happened though, so Barry wasn't too stressed about it.

All day, both Barry and Caitlin struggled with their task. So much so, in fact, that Caitlin was visibly stressed.

"Caitlin, are you okay? You look like you're coming down with something," Cisco said, concern showing in both his tone and expressions.

"I'm fine. Just a little stressed," Caitlin replied. It wasn't an exact lie. Pretending to be getting over Ronnie was proving to be far more difficult than it should be, and it was only day one. She prayed it'd get easier.

It did, but only by a little. Caitlin and Barry met once more over the week, under the guise of studying, to discuss their plans. The next week would be broaching the subject over Iris and Ronnie to their friends. Not at the same time though, because that would be suspicious. Slow and steady. That's how they'd go about it.

The Plan was going pretty well so far, so they should have known that it there would be a bump soon.

It came in the form of Oliver Queen, who lived across the street from Caitlin. He usually drove her to school, and the sunny Monday morning was no different. Barry had come over the night before, this time to actually study. They'd decided that in order for people to believe them, real studying would have to happen. Caitlin got into Oliver's car, and they started talking. They'd gone about a block before Oliver almost caused Caitlin to have a heart attack. They'd been talking about one of the classes they had together, then Oliver changed the subject.

"How's it going with Ronnie?" He asked, smirking a little bit when Caitlin choked on her tea from her thermos. Caitlin and Oliver were good friends, with all the time they spent together. And, of course, the fact that they had known each other their whole lives. But Oliver was not the feelings type, and so they never talked about crushes or anything. Like, ever.

"I'm sorry, what?" she said, after getting her choking under control.

"How are things going with Ronnie? I mean, you've liked him for a while. But, I don't know; recently you haven't acted like it," Oliver elaborated, eyes never leaving the road.

Caitlin sighed before she answered. "Honestly... I don't know. I guess I've - I've just realized it wasn't meant to be. He's never seen me in that way, and he never will." The lie didn't come out quite as smoothly as she'd hoped, but that may have been for the best. If the lie was too smooth, Oliver might not buy it. She missed his raised eyebrow, as she was staring out her window with determination.

"So it wouldn't have to anything to do with the fact that Barry Allen has been to your house quite a few times these past couple weeks?" He teased, glancing over at Caitlin, unable to see her cheeks redden.

"Three times is not 'quite a few,' Oliver. We're friends. That's all," Caitlin said, her voice intentionally a tad too loud to be believable. This was rushing the plan more than Caitlin was comfortable with but come on. It was Oliver. She always knew that he'd be the first to suspect something was up. He lived across the street from her, for crying out loud. Plus he had almost superhuman observation skills. The blush though, that was unintentional. She took deep, silent breaths, trying to cool her flaming cheeks.

"For you it is. You never have anyone but Cisco over, and even that is rather intermittent." Oliver gave a small shrug of his shoulders.

"Intermittent? Are you actually using that word of the day calendar I got you? Anyways, what's with the third degree? I wouldn't think you'd care." She turned to face him, now that her blush was going down.

"Yeah, although I got behind when I went on that boat trip with Dad. Forgot to pack it. Why wouldn't I care? We've been friends our whole lives, Caitlin. I'm only saying, you should be careful. We all know that Barry's in love with Iris," he said, his tone matter of fact.

"I know that. I don't have feelings for Barry. I just enjoy his company when studying. It's possible I've realized that I don't need to be alone all the time," Caitlin argued, not sure why her temper was rising so quickly. Who did Oliver think he was, anyway? Who was he to tell her who she could and could not like? Beneath the anger, Caitlin knew that's not what he meant, but she didn't care. They pulled into the school parking lot, and Caitlin got out of the car. As she walked away, she completely missed the look that Oliver gave her. He hadn't meant to hurt her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this wasn't how I planned this chapter to go. I was originally going to have more Barry/Caitlin scenes. But then this happened, and I like it. As much as I love SnowBarry and Olicity, I also love the idea of Oliver and Caitlin. I call them SnowQueen. I'll probably get Ollie to like Felicity, eventually. Almost definitly, in fact. However, I thought it'd be unto do something different first. But I also can't make promises, because the characters often just do what they want. So who knows? 
> 
> I always appreciate Kudos and comments, but don't feel pressured to do either. Constructive criticism is always welcome.


	4. Texting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, sorry. This chapter is short, and it took longer than I wanted it to. Life happens though. 
> 
> Barry's texts are in single quotation marks.  
> Caitlin's are in asterisks.

Caitlin and Oliver's interactions for the rest of the day were limited and strained. Oliver tried to apologize, but he was afraid of saying something somehow worse, and so he couldn't bring himself to actually start speaking. Barry noticed Caitlin's tight smile and resolved to ask her about it later. He didn't get the chance to do so at school, so he waited until that evening and texted her.

'Hey. what was up with u and ollie today?'

Caitlin looked down at the message on her screen. She hesitated before she started typing.

*He knows about the plan. Sorta.*

The message had barely delivered before her phone buzzed again. Barry typed fast.

'HE WHAT????'

*Calm down. He doesn't know about the actual plan. He just thinks something is up. He thinks I'm over Ronnie, and he's concerned that I'll fall for you. Since you know, you like Iris.*

'Oh. well, you are gonna fall for me no matter what he says. ;P'  
'  
*Yeah. But you're falling for me too, remember?*

'But of course, fair lady.'

Caitlin smiled at Barry's silliness. The phone chimed again.

'So why does ollie making assumptions turn into u 2 not talking?'

Caitlin frowned at this. Why did it escalate into an argument?

*I don't know..... it just did.*

'R U ok?'

*Yeah.*

'I would offer to come over, but thts kinda the problem so....'

*It's fine. I appreciate it anyway.*

'Any time, Caitlin.'

\-----  
It was a full week before Caitlin rode with Oliver again. And another couple days before it was comfortable. They avoided the subject of Barry and Ronnie, even though Caitlin had told everyone that she no longer held any feelings for Ronnie.

Cisco was probably the most shocked out of them all at this revelation. He was sure that Caitlin and Ronnie were soulmates or something. Privately, Caitlin was inclined to agree with him, but she couldn't say that anymore. Felicity was a little shocked too, but she'd kinda suspected something was up. Iris almost as disappointed as Cisco, but far less shocked. Eddie barely knew she liked Ronnie, and so his reaction wasn't huge.

Barry was supposed to be "over" Iris next week. After their last meeting, Barry and Caitlin decided to slow down the plan just a tad. They didn't want another Oliver situation. That was bad enough just the one time. Caitlin thought Barry would be more upset about it than he was. But he was perfectly okay with waiting.

Caitlin, however, was frustrated. If Ronnie noticed that she was acting any different, he didn't show it. 'He should notice. I've made a point to act more casual around him. Ugh. Stupid boys,' she thought. They didn't make any sense.

Meanwhile, while she and Barry were acting more casual with Ronnie and Iris, they started acting a little more friendly to each other. One day, they hugged each other as Barry and Iris left to board the bus. This was a big deal, since Caitlin wasn't super touchy, and didn't hug people often.

\----

After school, Caitlin got a text.

'DID YOU SEE THE GLARE RONNIE SENT OUR WAY? I THINK HE LIKES YOU!'

Caitlin stared at her screen, excitement growing.

*He DID!?!?!? Bartholomew Henry Allen, if you are lying to me, I swear I'll tell Iris about your feelings for her.*

'PleASE, Caitlin. I wouldn't lie about this. ThIs Is ImPoRtAnT'

*Okay, okay. I believe you. Did you see anything else?*

'Nope. just caught that as I left.'

*Oh. Okay. Thanks*

'No problem.'

Caitlin suppressed a squeal. She didn't want to draw attention to herself since her mother was just in the next room. Carla knew of the plan, although she didn't really approve. But she also didn't stop them. Instead, she advised them to be careful.

Caitlin's phone buzzed again.

'Need help studying?'

She smiled.

*Of course :)*

'Be there in 15 :D'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys liked it! 
> 
> As always, kudos and comments, including constructive criticism, are always welcome. Don't feel pressured to do it, though.  
> Love you guys!


	5. Felicity's observations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity is smart.

The day finally came where Barry would tell his friends about him "Getting Over" Iris. However, Eddie and Iris didn't have any practices for football or cheerleading, so they hung out with everyone. So it didn't happen that day.

The next day, however, was perfect. Iris and Eddie were at their respective practices, and everyone was hanging out in the library. Their school had an unusually large library (Caitlin and Oliver's mothers both had a big hand in that) and the gang had a back corner they liked, where nobody ever really went. Even the librarian didn't often head over to that corner.

They were sitting and chatting when Barry changed the subject during a momentary lull in the conversation.

"Ya know, I don't really like Iris anymore." The lie came out smoother than he'd expected. Turns out all his practicing in his room and with Caitlin paid off.

"You WHAT?!?!" Cisco screeched.

"QUIET OVER THERE!" The librarian, Ms. Periwinkle yelled from the front part of the room.

"You what?" Cisco repeated, this time quieter.

"I don't have feelings for Iris anymore," Barry reiterated, glancing at Caitlin. She looked shocked, but if you were looking hard enough at her, you could see the sparkle in her honey brown eyes. "I mean, she's my best friend, and I'll always love her. But not in a romantic way," he finished. Looking around, he saw different reactions. Cisco, as shown by his reaction, was in shock. Caitlin was playing her part well. Barry could see wheels turning in Felicity's mind as her eyes flicked from him to Caitlin, and back again. Ronnie and Oliver were at football practice with Eddie.

"When did this happen?" Cisco asked.

"I'm not sure. It's been happening for a while. Not one moment. It's probably since I've seen how happy she is with Eddie. We wouldn't work." Oh, how Barry wished he believed his own words.

Caitlin cleared her throat. "Iris is coming, guys. Just walked through the door." This effectively stopped the conversation. When Iris reached them, they started talking about their pop quiz from yesterday. Why did Mr. Wells always have to do them when they were least prepared?

\-------  
Later, as Barry and Felicity walked down their street together, Felicity made a very uncomfortable observation.

"It's Caitlin, isn't it?" She said. Barry knew immediately what she was talking about, and cursed the fact that Iris wasn't with them. Stupid Eddie, making plans with his girlfriend. But even though he knew what she was talking about, he feigned ignorance.

"What's Caitlin?" He kept his tone as casual as possible. Why was Felicity so observant?

"You don't like Iris anymore, because you like Caitlin. I mean, I get it. You two have been spending a lot of time together since you've been studying at her house all the time." She looked at Barry, who looked like he was about to protest. "Oh, you can't deny it. Oliver said you've been to her house a lot this past month or so."

"I don't like Caitlin. We're friends. That's all." Why was he denying it? This was supposed to be the plan, right? Barry hoped Felicity wouldn't notice the red he could feel creeping up his cheeks. Why was that there?

"Yeah, okay. Your face says different," Felicity laughed. "Don't worry. I'll keep your secret. But I think you should go for it. I'm sure she'd go out with you if you asked." Barry was now regaining his composure, and his mind switched to the plan.

"Really? I mean, not that I like her or anything. I....uh...I didn't think I was her type. Felicity! Hey, stop laughing!" Felicity's giggles didn't stop, however. They only grew louder. "Wow, Felicity. I thought we were friends."

"We are! Geez. If you didn't have it so bad for this girl, you wouldn't care that I'm teasing you about it." Felicity was still giggling but managed to hold it together enough to speak. "Holy crap, I gotta go. My grandparents are visiting. Yikes." And she broke into a rather awkward run down the street. Barry turned into his yard, smiling. Felicity may be observant, but her imagination sometimes took things too far. Because he didn't like Caitlin like that at all. It was all pretend.

\---  
Felicity spent the next couple days trying to get Barry to admit he liked Caitlin. Desperate, he finally went to Caitlin's house to talk about it.

"They aren't supposed to know yet! Caitlin, what do we do?" Barry was pacing around Caitlin's library, while she sat in one of the chairs in the corner.

"Well, I'd start by calming down. That's only my personal opinion, though," she said adjusting her teacup in her hands.

"You're not helping!"

"Because I don't need to. Barry, it's fine. Oliver thinks I like you. Felicity thinks you like me. It's okay. Just because two people like each other, doesn't mean anything is going to happen between them." She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, then continued. "Barry, it's not a big deal. Have some tea. Sit down. As long as you're here, we might as well get some studying done." She put her cup down and heaved herself out of her chair. She grabbed some textbooks from her desk. Bringing them over, she set them on the table between her and Barry's chairs. "Pick a subject." Barry knew she wasn't going to continue the subject, so he grabbed the book off of the top.

They spent the next hour and a half in almost complete silence, working on their separate subjects. The only sounds were from one asking the other a question about the textbook they held, or someone getting up to make more tea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, after three hours, and way too much coffee, I'm giving you guys an adverb filled chapter. My editing is not what it should be, and so neither is this chapter. But I really wanted to give you guys something, since you've given this story such an amazing response! 
> 
> As always, kudos and comments, including constructive criticism, are welcome. But don't feel pressured to if you don't to. Love you guys!


	6. Backstories and Pain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lot of things happen here, to be honest.

"Barry, when will you admit it?" Felicity's voice pulled Barry out of his school mode. 

"When will Barry admit what?" Iris asked, from Barry's other side. The trio was walking down their street. They were going slower than normal because it was probably one of the last few warm days left in the year.

'Dang it Felicity! Why couldn't you keep your mouth shut for once?!' Barry thought venomously. If looks could burn, Felicity could have fried eggs under Barry's glare. But she didn't care. 

"Barry likes Caitlin," she said, as though it was a fact, not an assumption. 

"I do _not _like Caitlin. We're friends. That's all," he said, keeping his tone unconvincing. He didn't want them to think he actually liked her yet. But if they thought he was uncertain about his feelings, that'd keep them satisfied. Right? Right.__

__"Oooo sounds like he's in denial," Iris giggled. "Say, when's the last time you had a girlfriend? Um, freshman year, wasn't it? What was her name?"_ _

__"Linda Park!" Felicity supplied from her side of Barry. "We're at my house. Gotta go!" And off she went, leaving Barry alone with Iris for a conversation that he was pretty sure he didn't want to have. They waved their goodbyes before Iris went back to the subject at hand._ _

__"Right, Linda. What actually happened between you two? You didn't talked about it much." Barry was right. He didn't want to have this conversation with Iris. At all. However, she didn't seem to want to drop the subject._ _

__"We weren't really suited to one another, I suppose. We fizzled out, that's all. Nothing special." In truth, that's not at all what happened. In all complete, total truth, they went out for a solid month before Linda confronted Barry about his feelings for Iris. He couldn't deny that he was more into Iris than he was into Linda. So they broke up._ _

__"Hm. I always got the distinct impression that she thought there was someone else you were into. Which bugged me, because you talk to me about everything, and you never told me about any other girls besides her. Like, at all." Iris said, waving at her dad in their yard before she turned into Barry's pathway with him._ _

__"Well, she did think there was someone else. But there wasn't, and that's not why we broke up. We were just too young, and neither of us was ready for a relationship," Barry replied, opening the door to his house._ _

__"Well, it's a shame you two didn't work out. You were cute together. Now about Caitlin......"_ _

__\---_ _

__The next day, Barry was once again at Caitlin's house. Every Tuesday, he came over after school and they either studied, or planned more. Usually both. This evening it was neither. It was warmer than normal, and they sat on Caitlin's balcony. It was small, barely holding the two chairs they'd pulled out there. The balcony overlooked Caitlin's expansive yard. It was well kept although dry because of the season. In one corner stood the remains of what looked like an impressive flower garden. Out beyond that, the land was flat, until mountains overtook it. Caitlin's street was the last one in town in that direction, and she loved it. She got some of the most beautiful sunsets there. One of which was happening now._ _

__Barry and Caitlin sat in silence for almost half an hour, watching the sky change before their eyes. Barry kept glancing over at Caitlin, enthralled by the way her hair glowed red in the dying sun, and how her attention never wavered from the scene in front of her. It was a sight beautiful to behold._ _

__Barry had always been the kind to constantly need to be doing something. Always moving. It made his mother laugh, and sometimes annoyed Iris. When he was with Caitlin, that need didn't go away, but was easier to be calm. And Caitlin seemed to get that. So when she noticed Barry fidgeting, she suggested they go inside and do something else. The sun was almost down anyway, and it was probably almost dinner time._ _

__Dinner at Caitlin's house was either fun or awkward. Depending on which parent was at home. If Caitlin's father wasn't there, it tended to be awkward. Caitlin's mother knew about the plan, and didn't approve. But if her father was there, it was almost guaranteed to be fun. He knew nothing of the plan, and he liked Barry._ _

__Today he was there, and Barry noticed that even Dr. Tannhauser lightened up around her husband. Eric Snow was a bright man. He was tall, with a clean shaven face. Caitlin had inherited his honey colored eyes, while her mother had blue. However, Caitlin looked like her mother in several other ways. Her nose, her brows. Her smile, though, that came from her father. Eric laughed a lot. He made Barry and Caitlin laugh too._ _

__Tonight, though, even through his jokes he seemed somber. Everyone did. When they went back upstairs, Barry asked Caitlin about it._ _

__"Is your dad okay? He seemed different tonight." Barry watched as Caitlin held a battle in her mind. She finally spoke._ _

__"No, he isn't. He's sick. Barry, he's dying. I-I can't lose-lose my dad," she said, dissolving into sobs. Barry rushed up to her, and took her into his arms. They stood there for a long time. When Caitlin pulled away from Barry, she smiled in a wobbly sort of way. "Thank you, Barry, I needed that."_ _

__"Not a problem. When did you find out?" Barry asked, taking a gentle hold on he arm, leading her to a chair. When she sat, he made his way to the tea bar, and started the kettle._ _

__"We've known something was wrong for a while. But the results came yesterday. It's terminal. Mom says she's going to fix him, but I don't think she can." She attempted to hold back a shudder, but it escaped anyway._ _

__Barry abandoned the heating water to sit on the floor by her chair. He sat there, rubbing her leg, letting her cry. When the water finished heating, he got up as quiet as he could, and fixed her favorite tea. Earl Grey. A scoop of turbinado, and some cream from the tiny fridge below the bar. He went back to her, and pressed the hot drink into her hands. He sat back down, and let her be. After a while, she asked him if he wanted to go. He said no. Instead, he pulled the empty cup from her hands, helped her up. She couldn't keep her eyes open, so he guided her to her bedroom. As he was about to leave, he heard her voice._ _

__"Barry, will you stay with me until I fall asleep?" He turned to see her in soft blue pajamas, staring at him from the door to her bathroom._ _

__"Yeah, sure." She smiled softly at his response, and then walked to her bed. She went to sleep almost immediately. He stayed long enough to be sure she was asleep, and then he left. He saw Eric on the stairs. Something made him stop as they passed by each other._ _

__"I'm sorry, sir." Eric smiled._ _

__"Me too, Barry. Me too."_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I almost made myself cry writing this. This wasn't supposed to happen. I didn't want to kill anyone. But I'd no sooner started writing this chapter last night before I came to the decision that it was necessary. So with copious amounts of tea in my system, I took to it. Hope you enjoyed it! I sure didn't! 
> 
> As always, kudos and comments, including constructive criticism, are completely welcome.


	7. Confessions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry it's been so long. Life has been nuts. But I've finally got a chapter done. Enjoy!

Caitlin didn't have the chance to talk to Barry about the previous night for most of the day. But as he was departing for the bus, she managed to catch up to him. She had to run, but she got there, and gave him an impulsive hug. 

"Thank you," she said before she turned away. She started walking off to where Oliver was waiting by his car. 

"Caitlin?" She turned back to him. "You're welcome." Caitlin decided that the warmth in her stomach was due to lingering effects of the hug, not Barry's bright smile. 

\-----

Caitlin sat on the foot of Felicity's bed. She rarely ever spent the night anywhere. Much less on a school night. She hadn't even really wanted to go. But her mother had thought it was a good idea for her to get out of the house. 

Felicity had pretended that her only reason for inviting Caitlin over was because they didn't hang out enough. But Caitlin knew why she was here. She shifted her position on the bed, waiting for the interrogation to start. She didn't have to wait long. 

"So, what do you think about Barry?" Felicity asked from her spot on the other side of the bed. 

"What do you mean?" Caitlin wasn't the best liar, but that wasn't important now. She didn't want to hide her "feelings" for Barry at this point. They were far enough along that Felicity could know. 

"You know exactly what I mean. You like him, don't you?" Felicity pushed her glasses up her nose a little as she leaned forward. Strands of dark hair escaped her ponytail. That, mixed with her smug grin, reminded Caitlin of a Faerie. 

"I don't know what you're talking about. I don't like Barry. I- don't- I don't know why you'd think that," she protested, intentionally weak. She tried not to think of earlier, and how Barry gave the best hugs. 

"Uh-huh. Sure. Then your blush is easy to explain away, then. Hmm?" The smugness on Felicity's face only grew. 

"Uh, because you're embarrassing me?" 

"How so? There's nobody else here but me? What's there to be embarrassed about?" Felicity asked, leaning back against her mountain of pillows. Caitlin gave a well calculated sigh before she spoke.

"Okay, maybe I do like him. But you can't say anything to him!" 

"Don't worry. I promise not tell Barry." 

\-----

"So, you do like Barry." Oliver's tone was matter of fact. No room for doubt. 

"What? Why-why would you think that?" Caitlin said, whipping around in her seat to look at Oliver. 

"Felicity. We were talking last night, and she accidentally blurted it out," Oliver said, eyes on the road. His tone was casual, but Caitlin suspected that he was at least somewhat troubled by this. He hadn't wanted her to like Barry before. 

"Are you certain that it wasn't on purpose? I mean, she did say that she wouldn't tell Barry, but she didn't say anything about anyone else." 

"I'm sure. She was just babbling," he replied, clicking on the turning signal. 

"So?" Caitlin asked, curious.

"So what?" 

"So, where's the chastisement? You warned me against liking him in the first place." 

"Well, yeah, I did. But since he says he doesn't like Iris anymore, then there's less chance of you getting hurt," he said, turning into the school parking lot. "Besides, who am I to tell you who to like?"

"That's, actually a good point. But I do care about your opinion, Oliver, even if I don't agree with it." 

"Thank you. Besides, I know you well enough to know that you'll be careful. Right?" 

"Right. Oliver, I promise that if anything were to happen between Barry and I, that I would be careful. I know that sometimes when you think you're over someone, you're really not. Anyway. Enough about my love life, how's yours? Asked Felicity out yet?" Caitlin teased, not wanting to talk about Barry anymore, for some reason. 

"No. And I don't plan to. She'd never go out with me." 

"Oh, please. I was at her house the other night. There's no way she wouldn't. Everyone knows that she likes you as much as you like her. So man up and ask her out!" Oliver's glares blew even Felicity's clear out of the water. 

"Hey guys? What's going on?" Ronnie was suddenly by Caitlin's side. Butterflies invaded her stomach. She commanded them to stop. They didn't listen. If anything, they multiplied. By ten. 

"We're walking," Caitlin said. 'Crap. Obviously we're walking. Duh. What an idiot,' she thought. But Ronnie laughed. He had a beautiful laugh. 

 

"Well yeah, I got that. But what are you talking about?" 

Glancing at Oliver, she saw he was about to speak, and she cut in. "I was just telling Oliver that he should ask Felicity out. What do you think?" They all walked into the school together, laughing and teasing Oliver.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, it was a tad short, and it ended awkwardly, but I like it. Hope you guys do too! Thank you for your patience!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry my updates have been sporadic as of late. I'll try to do better!

That Saturday, everyone went to Jitters. They didn't often all hang out at once, and this was no exception. Caitlin was late (on purpose). But everyone else was there. Barry was happy to have Ronnie there, in particular. He wanted to observe his reactions. They all sat at the cozy arrangement of couches and chairs by the fire, which for once was empty when they all got there. 

"So-" Barry began during a lull in the conversation, "-do you think Caitlin and I would make a good couple?" He had to stop himself from laughing at the shock evident on everyone's faces. Everyone but Felicity and Oliver's, anyways. But of course, they already thought they knew what was going on, so that wasn't surprising.

"Yes!" Cisco said, a little louder than necessary. Everyone turned to him. "Sorry, but I do think it's a good idea. Like the best idea ever." It was a good thing that Barry was a much better actor than Caitlin. She would not have been able to hold it together at Cisco's overt glee. Barry, however, hadn't been the best Romeo that freshman year had ever seen for nothing. Even Oliver wouldn't suspect. 

"Really? Cause I've been wanting to ask her out for a while, but I wasn't sure if it was a good idea or not. I mean, I don't want her to get hurt, ya know?" He tried to sound casual, but something in him meant it. He hoped this plan would work. Caitlin didn't deserve to get hurt. He shook that train of thought from his mind and forced himself back to the present. 

"Well, you know what I think. Ask her out!" Felicity said, her blue eyes widening with excitement. Barry stole a glance at Ronnie. He hadn't anything, but he didn't look happy and his coffee cup was a bit squished. Barry smiled a little bit. Looks like the plan was working. 

"Here's your chance. She's coming this way," Iris said, looking out the clear wall. Sure enough, when Barry looked up, there was Caitlin.

"Yeah, sure." He got up and walked out the door, nearly knocking her over in the process. 

"Barry, what in the world? You don't need to knock me over." Barry didn't respond, but steered her away from the door, and positioned them so that Barry's back was to the glass wall. 

"Do you wanna go out with me?"

"What?" "They're watching, and I strongly suspect Oliver can read lips." 

\----

"Oh. Okay." Caitlin paused a moment, trying to figure how to phrase her question so that it wouldn't give them away. "A date, huh?" She hoped Barry would elaborate. They hadn't ever decided if they were ever gonna go on actual dates yet. And neither of them had really planned on this moment being public. Thankfully, Barry continued. 

"We could just get coffee tomorrow, and call it a date. Sound good?" Caitlin tried to ignore the gymnasts in her stomach. Where'd they even come from?

"Yeah, sounds good. Tomorrow. Now let's go, it's cold out here," she said, motioning with her hand for Barry to follow her through the door. When they got in the building, Caitlin waved at the group by the fire. She'd never seen a group of people look more smug.

\----

Cisco came back to Caitlin's house with her.

"So, you and Barry are going out on a date, huh?" Caitlin wanted to tell him the truth right then and there, if only to wipe the smug look off Cisco's face. But she didn't. Instead, she sighed and poured more tea. 

"Yes, Cisco. Barry and I are going on a date. But it's just a date. It doesn't have to mean anything." She took a sip of tea. 'Remember that yourself, Caity. It means nothing.' Where'd that thought come from? 

"But it could!" Cisco exclaimed, grinning. 

"Cisco," Caitlin voiced warned him to stop. Pain flooded her. It just hit her how much she hated lying to Cisco. To everybody. 

"Caitlin, are you okay?" Cisco's expression had changed from gleeful to concerned. 

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just realized that you're right, and now I'm nervous," she lied, setting her cup down. 

"Well of course I'm right, but Caitlin, you don't have to be nervous. You and Barry will be an adorable couple." A hint of his grin came back. 

"Oh hush, you. What a delusional dork," she teased, but she was smiling too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, it was a little short, and I cut a scene I was going to put at the end. But I decided that needed an entire chapter. So you'll have to wait.
> 
> As always, kudos and comments, including constructive criticism, are always welcome. But don't feel pressured to do so if you don't want to!


	9. Just a "Date"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys. Sorry it's taken me so long to update this. Life, yaknow? anyways, here's an update. Hope you enjoy it!

"Come on, Caitlin, it's Barry and coffee. That's all. No need to be so concerned with how you look," Caitlin said to the mirror. 'Yeah, sure. It's not like you're lying to everyone you know by doing this. Coffee, indeed.' "Oh, shut up." She said to her inner voice.

Her otherwise spotless bathroom was now covered in makeup and hair products. Her bedroom had clothes strewn about. Each time she'd picked something out, she felt it was either too formal or too casual. Her inner voice was not adding any helpful comments, either. 

Finally, after a solid hour of fighting with herself, she gave in and called Felicity, who was now on her way. 

When she got there, Felicity was greeted with a near tackle from Caitlin. When she released her, Caitlin frowned.

"Oh, thank you, Felicity. I'm so freaked out. I don't know what to wear. Or do with my makeup." Caitlin said, gesturing to her face. Felicity could see that Caitlin had applied makeup only to crudely wipe it off. A couple of times, it looked like. 

"Okay, so here's what we're gonna do: we'll start with your outfit, then move onto hair, and then makeup. Now, you look good in blue, right? So let's go with that." Felicity immediately busied herself with rummaging through the mass of clothes. Occasionally she stopped to hold something up to Caitlin before she either threw it back on the bed or placed it on a chair for later use. It took her almost half an hour before she came up with the "perfect outfit," as she called it. Caitlin let Felicity do her thing, with minimal input. 

\----

When Caitlin arrived at Jitters at precisely three o' clock, Barry was already waiting for her. He looked....almost nervous. Caitlin shook that thought out of her head. There was no way that Barry was nervous. 

"This is all fake," she reminded herself under her breath. Sucking in the chilly air, she walked forward to where Barry could see her. "Hey!" She called, and he turned to face her fully. His expression was unreadable for a moment, but then his face broke out into a smile. She returned it and walked up to him. 

\----  
When Barry saw Caitlin, he almost stopped breathing. She looked stunning. Her hair had been pulled away from her face, and then let loose down her back in curls. Over her black coat was a bright red scarf, which brought out the red in her hair. He put on a smile, which she returned.

When she was close to him, he made a mock bow and held out his hand. "Are you ready, Milady?" She giggled and took his hand, and they walked into Jitters together.

When they finished getting their order, they went and sat at the closest table to the fire. 

"So, I almost broke last night. Cisco came over. He's obviously delighted at the idea of us as a couple," Caitlin said, taking a sip of her hot drink. 

"I got that impression from him yesterday. He was awful smug when I brought up the topic of us as a couple," Barry added, grinning. They both laughed softly and settled into easy conversation. They were almost done with their coffee when Caitlin's phone rang. 

"It's Felicity," she said, shaking her head with a smile. "I'm sure she wants to know how the date went." 

"Well, answer it!"

"Hello?" Caitlin answered it and put on the speakerphone. She raised her finger to her lips, signaling Barry to be silent. 

"Caitlin! How'd the date go?! Wait, you aren't still on the date, are you?" Barry could hear the excitement in Felicity's voice, even over the phone. 

"Yeah, but Barry's in the bathroom right now." Caitlin grimaced with the lie, but Barry just shrugged. 

"Oh. Well, how's it going? With the date, I mean, rather than in general." Barry smiled at Felicity's rambling but kept his chuckle silent. 

"Well..." Caitlin looked to Barry to help her, to which he replied with a thumbs up. "I think it's going really well. We've been talking for quite a while. I'm optimistic." 

"Geez, Caity, you sound like it's an assignment rather than a date," Felicity's tone wasn't overly judgmental, just concerned. "You are having fun, right?" 

"Of course, Felicity. Okay, he's coming back now, bye." Felicity barely got her goodbye out before Caitlin hung up, collapsing in giggles. Barry joined her. 

When they calmed down, they finished their coffees and vacated the table. A little way outside Jitters, Barry stopped Caitlin before she left to take the bus. 

"Hey, if you want, I could take you home. I mean, what kind of awful date would I be if I let you take the bus home?" He grinned. 

"Well, okay. But only because the bus looks crowded." Caitlin conceded. 

\----  
Reaching Caitlin's house, Barry turned to Caitlin. 

"This was fun. We should keep up with the 'dates.' At least sometimes." 

"Yeah, that's a good idea." She got out of the car, and Barry couldn't quite work out what that feeling in his stomach was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a tad short, but it was a surprisingly hard chapter to work with. Nothing turned the way I wanted it to, but I just stopped caring about what I wanted, let what happens, happen. So here ya go. 
> 
> As always, kudos and comments are highly appreciated, but you don't have to if you don't want to. Constructive criticism is also welcome.


	10. Halloween

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Allens have a scary movie marathon every year for Halloween. This year is no exception.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been so excited for this chapter for months. I'm so psyched!

"So, guys, are you all ready for the annual Allen Household ScareFest tonight?" Barry said, sliding into his seat in front of Caitlin. He swallowed the urge to sit there and stare at her. She looked so pretty right now. No, she didn't look any different than normal. She was wearing jeans and a blue t-shirt. Hair pulled back from her face. No, it wasn't anything she had done to change her appearance. It was his own perspective towards his friend that had changed. 

"Absolutely. What's on the list for this year?" Cisco leaned across the aisle.

"Nice try. It's a secret, like every year." Just then class started, and they couldn't talk anymore. But the excitement that the teenagers felt was tangible. Bubbling around them, their minds not on their schoolwork at all. 

\----  
After school, everyone filed into the Allen's house and were greeted warmly by Barry's parents. Caitlin was a bit later than the rest, but at this point, she didn't care. Barry's parents didn't know about the plan, and she hadn't seen them since she and Barry started 'dating.' Standing outside the door, Caitlin took a deep breath. She held up her hand to knock, but right before she made contact with the door, it opened to reveal Henry Allen. 

"Caitlin! I'm so glad you made it! You haven't been by since you and Bar started going out. Come in!" Henry's smile was bright and cheerful and reminded Caitlin of her own father. After she came through the door, Henry closed it behind her, then wrapped her in a bear hug. 

"Caitlin, you made it!" Nora Allen's voice came in through from the kitchen. But in a few seconds, her voice was accompanied by the rest of her. When Henry let Caitlin go, Nora took her turn at a hug. "We're so glad you could come," she said, releasing Caitlin. 

"Hey, that's what I said," Henry protested. Nora smiled at her husband.

"Well now she's doubly sure, right dear?" She asked, turning to Caitlin. 

"Of course. I'm so glad I could come since I missed last year's marathon. Have you guys started yet?" Caitlin hung up her coat as she spoke. Even though she didn't come here often, the Allen's house always felt homey. She knew that Nora wanted it to be a place that her son's friends felt comfortable in. She did a good job. 

"No, we haven't started quite yet. We were waiting for you, slowpoke," Henry teased, with a light poke to Caitlin's arm. 

"Well then, let's go." So Caitlin led the way into the Allen's living room, giggling a little bit. It was always so much fun coming here for the ScareFest. The Allen's had put it on the weekend before Halloween for several years, and it was an established tradition. Sometimes the parents came too, but more often than not it was the just Nora, Henry, and a bunch of kids. Like this year. 

When she got into the living room, Caitlin couldn't help but laugh. All the furniture had been pushed back against the walls, and it appeared that every blanket and pillow that the Allen's owned had been thrown into the center of the room. At the moment, it looked like a mess, but one that was taking shape as Caitlin's friends worked to make it comfy nest. Barry stopped when he heard Caitlin's laugh.

"You're here! Come on, we're building a nest," he motioned for her to join them on the floor. 

"Okay, but first, I have to ask. Where did you guys get all these blankets and pillows?" 

"Most of them are ours, but Cisco brought a bunch of pillows." Barry answered as Caitlin kneeled next to him. Cisco waved at Caitlin when he heard his name being mentioned. Caitlin started working on the nest with everyone else, while Nora put in the first movie. Soon, the nest was completed, and everybody settled in.

Caitlin laid next to Barry, but not too close. She didn't think she could deal with the butterflies that had decided to show up out of nowhere. When did they get here, and why wouldn't they leave? 

"Caitlin, move closer to Barry. That way Felicity has a bit more room at the end," Cisco said on her other side. Caitlin complied, and moved as close as she could without directly cuddling with her 'boyfriend.' As the opening scene began, she forced her mind from the boy lying next to her, and onto the movie. A difficult feat, but she succeeded after a while.  
\----  
Barry was not doing as well. And it wasn't his fault, it wasn't. Caitlin's hair was sprawled out enough to touch his arm and be a major distraction. He'd just managed to pay attention to the movie when the scene scared Caitlin launched herself into Barry's arms, effectively removing any thoughts of the movie from his mind. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her without comment, until she decided she was ready to watch again. Even then, he kept one arm around her, his heart beating at an inhuman rate. He hoped she didn't notice. 

They stayed that way for the rest of the movie, and only stopped when Barry sat up to argue with Cisco over who should put the next movie in. 

"Cisco, you should do it!"

"Why? It's your house," Cisco sat, cuddling deeper into his blanket. 

"Yeah, but you're not cuddling with anyone. I'm cuddling with my girlfriend!" He missed the way Caitlin's face flared up at his words. 

"Boys. I changed it. Just sit down," Felicity said, teasing them before she sat back down. The group laughed at them, and then settled back down for the next movie. This one as scary, but Barry still held Caitlin close. Just in case, of course. 

\----  
Caitlin opened her eyes to see sunlight streaming in through the window. It seemed normal until she registered that this was not her room, and the thing she had her arms wrapped around was most definitely not her stuffed giraffe. It was warm, and had the face of _Barry Allen?! ___

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this chapter is far shorter than I wanted it to be, but it's been way too long since I updated. It's not that I don't love this story, because I do, but it's just a little hard to figure out where I want it to go.

**Author's Note:**

> So, sorry this is so short. The next one will be longer. This just seemed like a good place to stop. Also, I'm homeschooled, so I don't really know how public school works. Sorry for any inaccuracies.


End file.
